How to Repair a Hole in a Kitchen Cabinet

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Things You'll Need

  • Soft cloth

  • All-purpose spray cleanser

  • Screwdriver

  • Wax crayon

  • Wood putty

  • Putty knife

  • 120-grit sandpaper

  • Tack cloth

  • 1-inch nylon brush

  • Wood stain

A big hole in your cabinets may require the help of a carpentry professional.

A hole in a wooden cabinet might seem like an odd problem to have, but it happens more often than people might think. If you're drilling or sawing near your cabinet, it's easy to drill or saw right through the bottom, top or doors of the cabinet if you're not careful. While large holes will require you to simply replace entire sections of the cabinets, smaller holes are manageable; you can fix them yourself and restore the appearance of your wood.

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Tiny Holes

Step 1

Unscrew one of the doors to your cabinet and take it to a hardware store. Pick out a wax crayon that matches the shade of wood exactly. You may need to test various crayons on the surface of the wood to make sure you get a strong match.

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Step 2

Spray a soft cloth with all-purpose cleanser. Wipe down the hole with the cloth. Allow it to air dry.

Step 3

Push the tip of the wax crayon into the hole, rubbing it against the sides of the hole. Your goal is to rub the crayon off into the hole until it is level and filled. Repeat this process on the other side of the hole.

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Small Holes

Step 1

Moisten a soft cloth with an all-purpose cleanser. Wipe down the front and back of the hole. Allow it to air dry.

Step 2

Scoop up a small amount of putty with your knife and brush it against the hole. Push the putty into the hole with your knife. Give it an hour to dry.

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Step 3

Sand down the putty with a piece of 120-grit sandpaper. Brush the area off with a tack cloth.

Step 4

Dab a 1-inch nylon brush into a wood stain that matches your cabinets exactly, and stain over the wood putty to match the rest of the cabinet.

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